7 things I learned working with coaches on a small marketplace platform
We’ve been working with coaches and practitioners on a small local (marketplace) platform where they could offer programs, sessions, and courses online.
A few things I noticed:
- The platform itself rarely creates demand.
The coaches who already had some kind of audience/community (even a small one) almost always performed better than those expecting the platform to “bring clients”.
- Simple and targeted offers usually performed better.
The best-performing courses/programs were rarely huge “complete masterclasses”.
Most people bought shorter offers focused on one specific pain point they already wanted solved.
We’ve been working with coaches and practitioners on a small local platform where they could offer programs, sessions, and courses online
- Many coaches eventually wanted more ownership over their audience and brand.
A lot of practitioners initially loved the simplicity of being on a platform, but over time many started wanting:
– their own website
– direct client relationships
– their own email list/community
– more control over the client experience
Especially the ones building long-term programs and recurring relationships.
- Time-limited offers and discount codes actually worked pretty well.
Not because people wanted “cheap coaching”, but because urgency helped people finally commit instead of postponing forever.
- No one can sell your services better than you can.
People in this niche buy from people they trust.
The practitioners doing best were usually the ones showing up consistently, sharing their perspective, replying to people, building relationships, etc.
- One recurring client is worth way more than constantly chasing new ones.
The coaches doing best long term usually focused more on ongoing programs, accountability, and long-term relationships than constant acquisition.
- Instagram communities/channels worked incredibly well.
And I don’t just mean followers.
The practitioners doing best usually had some kind of closer audience interaction:
– broadcast channels
– replying to stories
– regular DMs
– consistent communication
Even smaller communities converted surprisingly well because trust was already there before selling anything.
Would genuinely love to hear if other coaches noticed similar patterns in their own business.